Russian migration in Finland amid new geopolitical fault lines

Abstract

This article investigates the ways in which rising geopolitical tensions — triggered by the escalation of the Russia–Ukraine dispute into a military conflict in 2022—have shaped the lived experiences, identities, and integration trajectories of Russian migrants in Finland. Drawing on critical border studies and geopolitical sociology, it examines how public distrust, securitised narratives, and the closure of Finland’s eastern border have reconfigured migrant subjectivities and everyday life. Based on a qualitative, mixed-methods approach— including interviews, media discourse analysis, and a review of recent changes in Finnish migration policy — the study demonstrates how the conflict has intensified exclusionary dynamics and problematised Russian migrants within public and political discourse. The findings show that disrupted mobility and emotional displacement have produced new forms of social fragmentation and uncertainty. By highlighting the symbolic and affective dimensions of bordering, the article contributes to broader debates on migration, security, and belonging in times of geopolitical crisis.